A mother's love
by DCI Gill Murray01
Summary: Orla needs someone to be there for her whilst Sammy's away, who does she turn to?


Gill had just got home. It was quarter to one in the morning. The team were working on a child abduction possible murder that was attracting a lot of media attention and was really draining the whole team. Gill had sent them all home around midnight, and she had then stayed to try and start with paperwork. However this case was really getting to her, it was a four year old boy whose mentally ill father had abducted him after his wife left him. Gill felt sick every time she though of it. This was unusual because she always separated her emotions and her job. She wouldn't have got this far if she mixed them. In the end she decided there was no point even being in the office, so she collected her things and left. When she got home the house was too quiet, Sammy had gone camping with some mates and was coming tomorrow evening. She was glad Sammy wasn't there because she had been coming home so late she wouldn't have seen him at all. When Sammy got back, Gill had agreed to let Sammy take her and Orla out to dinner because he had been given a place on the police training course. Gill was immensely proud especially because he had listened to her and got a degree, meaning he would get to the top quicker. Gill liked having Orla around, there was another woman and Gill had always had a soft spot for his son's fiancée .Orla hadn't gone on the camping trip as she didn't finish her Fashion course in Exeter until tomorrow which was the day they all came home. Sammy had promised to take her away in the summer because she had been so upset she couldn't go. Sammy was picking her up from Uni on the way home.

Gill poured herself a large glass of wine and sat down on the sofa. She should really go to bed, but she knew she wouldn't be able to fall asleep, her mind was full of possible case leads. Gill turned the TV on, however there wasn't much on at this time of night. Suddenly Gill heard a knock at the door. She had no idea who it was, Sammy wasn't back until tomorrow, it wouldn't be Janet or Rachel as they went straight home together. The only person she could think of was Julie. Gill dragged herself up from the sofa and opened the door. To her surprise it was none of them. It was Orla. She was crying and she had a cut down her face that was bleeding. She also had three bin bags stuffed full of something, Gill wasn't sure what and her car keys in her hand.

"Oh my God, what's happened?" Gill saw the cut that was pouring blood, Orla raised a hand to it, and tried to stop the bleeding and wipe away her tears at the same time. But all she did was smear the blood across her face, Gill saw a lot of blood often but this made her feel sick because it was someone she loved.

"My..Parents have…kicked me out" Orla sobbed. Now Gill realised what was in the bin bags, Orla's clothes. Gill immediately picked up the bags and brought them inside.

"Hey kid, come here" Gill opened her arms to Orla, who just collapsed into them. With one hand Gill managed to shut the front door and still keep Orla standing upright.

"I'm sorry, I just didn't know what to do" Orla tears had left a mark on Gill's jacket and the blood was smeared over her shoulder. Gill led her through into the kitchen where she pulled down a box out of the cupboard. She pulled out a box of tissues and held them to Orla's cheek.

"Kid, you're almost family, you're welcome here any time" Gill smiled at the girl who now had blood running down her cheek. "Now what happened?" Gill asked as she turned the kettle on.

"Well, I finished uni a day early so I decided to go home and see my family, it was ok until my sister asked if I was still engaged to Sammy, I told them were going to wait a year or so until we've brought a flat or something, I thought they'd be happy for me, but then my parents got really angry and told me to get out of the house, so I left to give them a few hours to calm down" Orla's eyes were filling up with tears again.

"Well, when I went home my mum had emptied all my clothes and other things into these bags and left them by the door, she had a go at me and I told her that I loved Sammy, then she slapped me and her bracelets caught my face, which gave me this, so I grabbed the bags, took my cars keys and left" Orla now felt a new wave of tears come over her.

"Shh, its alright now" Gill pulled her over to the chair and made her sit down, Gill sat next to her and placed an arm around the, whilst the other one was holding tissue to Orla's face.

"I'm so sorry for turning up like this, I just didn't know what to do" Orla had moved to Manchester when she was five, the rest of her family all lived in West London.

"Its fine, you're like a daughter to me, so why shouldn't you just turn up, Sammy does!" Gill tried to add some humour but she could see it wasn't working. This made Orla only sob harder, Gill was being so nice to her, why couldn't her own mother? Orla's cheek stung as Gill pressed the wet tissue to her face.

"I think we're going to have to take you to the hospital kid, this won't stop bleeding, come on" Gill stood up and then helped Orla up. She looked pale and way too skinny, Orla was normally bright and bubbly and never looked too thin Gill knew something else was wrong but she wasn't sure what. She had black bags under her eyes, Gill wasn't sure if she had been eating properly, she knew instantly Orla she had been working to hard at Uni. Orla obeyed Gill partly because she didn't have the energy to argue and stood up, the room spinning ever so slightly, she followed Gill back out the hall, where she pulled on her coat and went out to the car.

"Thanks for this, you've probably got much more important things to do" Orla looked at Gill sincerely.

"It doesn't matter, making sure you're alright is the most important thing" Gill reached out and held Orla's hand and didn't let go until the got to the hospital.

"That's quite a cut you've got here Orla" the doctor stated as he stitched up her cheek.

"I know that by the pain" Orla and Gill had been in the hospital just over an hour and were both exhausted. Gill decided she would be "in a meeting" all of tomorrow morning so she didn't have to be in so early. Gill hadn't left Orla side since they'd arrived, and she wasn't leaving until they went home. She had rung Sammy and told him he didn't need to pick Orla up from Uni and explained everything. He wanted to come a day early but Gill had promised him she wouldn't leave her side until he was home. Gill didn't know how Sammy could be Dave's son, he was the complete opposite.

"There was something we found however Orla" The doctor had finished stitching her cheek and sat down in the chair the other side of the hospital bed. Orla suddenly felt sick and Gill felt the entire colour drain from her face. She was used to explaining to people why members of their family had been killed, but for some reason she still had the sick feeling in her stomach.

"I'll give you five minutes alone I'll be just outside" Gill stood up to leave, Orla grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

"Please don't leave me" Orla whispered, Gill nodded and pulled a chair over nearer to Orla.

"The tests run show there isn't anything wrong with you" the doctor explained, a huge grin of relief crossed both Gill and Orla's faces. Orla could see the doctor hadn't finished.

"But"

"Your exhausted, it's clear that you haven't been eating enough or getting nearly enough sleep, so I want you to take a few days even a week to fully rest and take thing easy"

"Oh don't worry, you've finished uni now so you won't be out of my sight for long" Gill said, the doctor looked pleased with what Gill had said.

"Orla, I want you to listen to your mother she knows what she's talking about" Gill looked up, she had been mistaken for Orla's mother, she didn't want Orla to feel like Gill was taking over especially after everything that had happened this evening. Gill was about to correct the doctor when Orla interrupted.

"I know she does, can I go home now?" Orla looked at Gill, she had tears in her eyes again, but they were tears of happiness, Gill squeezed her hand to reassure her.

"Of course, if you just sign here please, and make sure you rest" with that the doctor walked out and left them to leave.

"Did you mean what you just said?" Gill picked up Orla's coat and helped her to put it on.

"Of course I did, you've been more of a mum that my real one has ever been!" Orla turned around to face Gill.

"Well…I don't really know what to say, but I have always wanted a daughter!" Gill pulled Orla into a tight hug. "Come on kid, lets get you home" Orla linked arms with Gill and they walked back out of the hospital and returned home.

Once they had got home Gill had sent Orla up to bed, whilst she made her some dinner. However there wasn't much in the house so dinner was spaghetti hoops and soldiers. It was what she used to cook Sammy whenever she had the day off, it had soon become one of Sammy's favourite meals. Gill gently pushed open Sammy's bedroom door and walked in. Orla was lying under the duvet with her blonde hair poking out of the covers.

"Here you are love" Orla sat up as Gill handed her a plate.

"Thanks" Orla was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open.

"When you've finished this, you are to sleep, I'm going to take the day of work tomorrow so I can look after you until Sammy gets back ok?" Gill flicked off her shoes and sat cross legged on the bed.

"You don't have to do that, I'm sure I'll be fine" Orla really didn't want to be a nuisance, she knew Gill had a big case on and she didn't want to be the reason she didn't go.

"Oh don't worry, I'll tell Julie and she'll take over, her syndicates joined mine at the moment anyway"

"Ok thank you" Orla looked at Gill with her bright blue eyes

"You've already said thank you love"

"No I mean for everything, you've always been there for me every since I met Sammy six years ago, I honestly don't think I'd be here if it wasn't for you and Sammy" Gill was shocked, she didn't know what to say, but there was something that needed to be said.

"I love you kid" Gill whispered

"I love you too mum" Orla reached out a hugged Gill, the pair sat there for some time Orla was resting her head on Gill shoulder and Gill had her arms wrapped around Orla until Gill realised Orla had fallen asleep. She gently laid her back down, took the plate off her lap. She leant over and kissed Orla on the forehead and then quietly left the room.

At last Gill climbed in to bed it was 4:05 in the morning, Gill was meant to be in the office in three hours, before going to sleep Gill sent a text to Julie tell her she'd be late in and she would explain everything tomorrow. Gill suddenly realised she was extremely tired, she lay down and stared at the ceiling. In one day a family had lost a daughter, and Gill had gained the daughter she always wanted and Gill couldn't pretend she wasn't overjoyed at this.

Hey guys thanks for reading! Please don't forget to review! Do you want one more follow up chapter or leave it at this? Please let me know!


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